Mice/rat feeding options and personal opinions

[Xenogenesis]

Voice your opinion guys, I was just woundering how many people do what to prep their food, if anything, vote on the poll!

[krusty]

i voted for thawed but i do use fresh killed a lot to.

[Mayo]

I only do thawed its just easier, and safer, but each to his own

[Xenogenesis]

*nods*, i must get around to renting a bottle of CO2 on the company's account one day.

[elapid68]

I'm impatient. Can't wait for rodents/rabbits/chicks to defrost so I do a cull and kill the food items just prior to feeding

[Xenogenesis]

understandable elapid68, what method do you use to cull them?

[munkee]

When I had live rats for a while I killed them mself and fed them as required. Usually I am happy to pay more for a rat breeder to sell them too me as I have no snake that won't take frozen.

[elapid68]

Originally Posted by Xenogenesis

understandable elapid68, what method do you use to cull them?

Either CO2 chamber or place rodent on bench, holding by the tail and place screwdriver across the back of it's neck. Whilst applying pressure to the neck very quickly pull body over the screwdriver thus breaking it's neck. When done properly it's very quick and effective.

[Xenogenesis]

*nods* seems logical. thanks for the reply

[RevDaniel]

Ssome snakes of mine will only eat live food. Other snakes will eat freshly killed and other snakes will eat anything that i put infront of them. I know there are many people that are against live feeding to snakes but if that is all a snake eats it is all the snke will get then. I am always near the snake incase the rat or what ever i am feeding it appears to look as if it is about to bite the snake. I like to have snakes with a real personality rather than a human made personality. Snakes eat live food in the wild so i feel no guilt in feeding them live if need be.

[Xenogenesis]

There is always a risk with live feeding in my opinion, but if thats all they'll eat and theres steps taken to minimise the risk (not leaving the two of them alone) then i dont see a problem with it at all.

[Glimmerman]

I feed both, from thawed and when I have the supply - freshly killed. When I mass cull I use CO2 for the one of feeds, I use a similar method to Elapid68.

[ozpythons]

I use thawed rats ..Easy for me..Plus no internal parasites..I hope!

[Xenogenesis]

It just depends if you can be bothered to put the time and effort in to convert them from live to Thawed. The only time I will feed live is with a difficult hatchy for which I will use live pinkies but only as a maintenance diet until I can get them onto dead then thawed food.

I still don't agree that it's just a matter of time and effort, some will still refuse, in my opinion anyway, and yes, i'm only useing live on a stubborn duvie at the moment.

[Xenogenesis]

And don't get me wrong africancichlidau, I far from enjoy seeing the rat pawing on the glass, but I have to for the well being of the snake (i won't leave them alone, just incase) even tho the pinkies he gets dont have teeth, i'd still rather be sure.